Somerville Loses a Vegetarian Restaurant

A Somerville restaurant focused on vegetarian, vegan, and sustainable foods has closed. Sassafras (formerly Eat at Jumbo’s) — located at 688 Broadway in Ball Square — announced the closure on its website, indicating that financial instability paired with major construction projects in the neighborhood influenced the decision.

“It’s with a heavy heart that we unfortunately have decided to close,” the message on the restaurant’s website read. “Because as it stands now, we have become a financially unsustainable business. The closure of the Broadway Bridge only adds to that issue. We have sadly decided to close our doors and are taking steps to evaluate our future. We appreciate our loyal customers and thank you for your support of Sassafras and Eat at Jumbos over the years.”

In follow-up posts on Facebook, Sassafras mentioned the possibilities of hosting a pop-up in the space or considering a meal delivery service, so stay tuned for possible future incarnations of Sassafras or something else popping up in its Broadway space.

​While it operated as Eat at Jumbo’s, the pizzeria and sandwich shop had been a vegetarian-friendly spot, and it transitioned to the fully meat-free Sassafras in the summer of 2018, expanding the menu with even more vegan and vegetarian options for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

• Sassafras Replaces Eat at Jumbo’s With Vegetarian Food [EBOS]
• Sassafras [Official Site]